Leader of KIDS AND CARS recognized by Safe Kids Kansas

In
recognition for her strong dedication and commitment to accidental
childhood injury prevention Janette Fennell was presented with The
Outstanding Achievement in Childhood Safety Award by Safe Kids Kansas
on December 5, 2006. This award was presented for her national and
state efforts to enact policy change and is given annually to an
organization, community, or individual in Kansas who has demonstrated
achievement in the field of childhood injury prevention.

“The
state of Kansas is very fortunate to have an individual whose tireless
work on behalf of children is making a difference here and throughout
the nation to protect children from predictable and preventable
injuries,” said KIDS AND CARS
board member Jim Bartimus, of Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson &
Gorny of Leawood, Kansas. “We are very proud of her achievements,” he
added.

Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto
Safety in Washington, DC, also a KIDS AND CARS board member, has been
following Ms. Fennell’s work for over 7 years. “Janette has brought
about significant change to the entire auto safety arena,” Stone said.
“Trunk entrapments, dangerous power windows, children being backed over
because they cannot be seen in the blind zones behind vehicles, are
examples of issues that were not previously on the national agenda
until KIDS AND CARS recognized and publicized the need to collect data
about these incidents that happen on private property.”

Ms. Fennell began her consumer advocacy work after her family was
kidnapped at gunpoint and locked in the trunk of their vehicle in 1995
while living in San Francisco, CA. After being left for dead in the
confines of their trunk, the Fennells were able to escape with a little
‘divine intervention’ only to find their 9-month-old son was no longer
in the back seat of the vehicle. They were eventually reunited with
their young son after he was found alone in front of their home in his
carseat. Ms. Fennell went right to work to prevent this from happening
to others. She was the driving force behind the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard that now requires all new vehicles sold or leased in
the U.S. to have a phosphorescent trunk release inside the trunk
compartment.

Pediatrician
and KIDS AND CARS board member, Dr. Greg Gulbransen of Oyster Bay, NY,
became involved in the campaign to build awareness and improve rear
visibility behind vehicles after his own 2-year-old son was killed in a
backover incident. ‘This award means allot to Janette and her board,”
Dr. Gulbransen said. “I have been impressed with her close working
relationships with Safe Kids coalitions around the country. Just this
year, Janette has presented to Safe Kids coalitions in Oklahoma,
Indiana, and Missouri in addition to her work in Kansas. Our board is
very pleased to see an organization as important as Safe Kids, with
coalitions around the country take up these non-traffic initiatives.”
Safe Kids now has programs about the dangers of trunk entrapment,
leaving children alone in hot vehicles and most recently their “Spot
the Tot” program that educates about the large blind zones behind
vehicles.

“Each one of these programs helps to spread the KIDS AND CARS’ vision to a wider audience,” he added.

KIDS AND CARS is a national 501 (c) (3) nonprofit child safety organization.